ecstasy

He was a round-faced man with chubby cheeks. His glasses were as thick as beer bottles, and the stiff, upturned corner of his mouth made him look a little embarrassed and shy. The photos he took of him even had a glare that made his eyes glare like searchlights.

The already blurry photos were even more horrible when viewed on a CRT TV with a poor signal.

【It would be strange if you could catch someone with this kind of photo. 】

The news was over, but the face with a strange panic still stayed on the screen for a moment, swaying with the wave-like horizontal interference; there was also a flashing hotline number below the photo.

Doudou stared at the photo and number until they faded into the cheerful music of the advertisement, and finally looked away:

"Is this a highly intelligent criminal? But he doesn't look very smart, he looks a bit dull."

The boss's eyes were still fixed on the screen, as if he was enjoying the yogurt commercial.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, pretty boy. And look, he's wearing those fancy glasses—black-framed ones, at that! Usually, people wear glasses if they're well-read."

-

Chapter 23 Neighborhood

The newsstand owner, who was standing guard with one eye and keeping watch with the other, turned his head and glanced at Doudou's eyes; Doudou didn't know whether to look into his left eye or his right eye:

"People like us sell and buy magazines and newspapers, but we only read casual books. We definitely don't read many professional or good books. Look, I'm not nearsighted, and your eyesight is very good."

"You should also visit the provincial library more often; the air conditioning is free there."

Doudou raised his hand doubtfully, touched his smooth face, and rubbed his eyes. The newsstand owner was right; his eyesight had always been good.

"Hey? Didn't we just say you can't judge a book by its cover? I often go to the provincial library to read, and I don't go there for the air conditioning."

That’s the truth – but the free herbal tea at the provincial library is delicious.

The newsstand owner put down the porcelain cup and clapped his hands:

"Oh! Oh, look at me! I just haven't read enough books. I make a fool of myself by saying anything. So, are you good at studying?"

Doudou shook his head vigorously from side to side, causing his hair to flutter:

"Not good. Ah, it might be pretty bad."

Especially math—it's so hard! Doudou gets a headache just thinking about it. I'm afraid that murderer in the news was driven crazy by math!

The newsstand owner pursed his lips, looked deeply assentful, and nodded slowly and gravely:

“I was like, wow, that’s exactly the point.”

He suddenly switched to Mandarin mixed with vernacular:

"Okay, pretty boy, what else do you want to buy? Come over here more often. I have all the magazines here! That automatic newspaper machine is rubbish. Throw away the cards!"

Although Doudou could only partially understand the vernacular, he was shocked when he heard the words "fully automatic newspaper machine":

[Oh no, is he saying something else? I don't understand this!]

"Okay, boss, I'm leaving now! Next time, I'll definitely buy magazines from you!"

Doudou quickly picked up a copy of the Mong Cai Evening News, took a five-cent coin from his pocket, and pressed it on the counter of the newsstand, which was piled high with magazines and newspapers.

Quack, quack, quack.

From where the coin was, straight down, a crooked crack suddenly appeared on the plastic counter.

Ping--Bang!

Although the counter was cushioned by layers of newspapers and magazines, it still broke apart with a crisp sound.

The originally flat tabletop suddenly broke into two straight, upward-sloping lines; the entire tabletop was split in two like the Red Sea parted by Moses. All the magazines and newspapers slid to the center, piling up like a small mountain.

"Ouch, I lost it!"

The newsstand owner who was leaning against the table also fell over, with the cold tea spilled all over his face.

As for Doudou, he didn't pay any attention to the damage he caused. He grabbed the newspaper that was crushed into pieces and ran away a hundred meters away in panic.

-

When Doudou returned home, he had forgotten all about the "tear duct infection" and the "iron ruler killer".

Something that really surprised him happened - it seemed that a new neighbor was going to move in next to Doudou's house: for him, this was a rare and strange thing.

First of all, there were only a few households left in the Tianhu community where he lived - and many of the public services he should have received had been discontinued over the years for various reasons.

Even the landline line has not been moved. If you want to make a phone call, you can only go downstairs and walk to the public telephone booth next to the guard room. The numbers on the nine-square keypad are no longer clear, and the microphone is polished smooth like a collectible, shining brightly under the street light.

However, the convenience store in the community made a lot of money by selling IC cards and long-distance cards; even though the number of residents has decreased by half or even three-quarters, it can still survive.

Only the couriers of the Asia-Europe Post continued to deliver regardless of weather conditions. However, Doudou heard that they even delivered letters to the peak of the Himalayas; that was quite impressive.

Especially the floor where Doudou lived - Building 5, Unit 2, Floor 4 - there were only three families living in the long corridor of twenty households. Except for Doudou's room, all other rooms were rented to workers from the tape factory for their lunch break, but they only came back occasionally to lie down for a while; the rest were empty, with their doors nailed shut with wooden boards.

-

At noon that day, Doudou's floor welcomed the long-awaited crowd of people coming and going again - except for the police officers who were busy at the entrance of the corridor a few days ago - they should be professional movers, moving quickly and efficiently.

But they seemed not to notice the new owner of the house: no one spoke or shouted, they just lowered their heads and quietly moved the furniture.

Doudou brought out the radio and placed it on the dried-up flowerpot in the corridor; he turned up the volume - he felt that this could slightly dispel the depressing atmosphere that permeated the corridor.

Not to mention, it can also help these movers relieve their boredom:

"Three years have passed since the [Future Destiny] incident, and citizens are still spontaneously holding commemorative activities. Primary and secondary schools in Mong Cai will also hold memorial concerts and cultural festivals."

"At the same time, the aftermath of the [Future Destiny] is still underway. It is reported that the location of the remains of the three astronauts on board [Future Destiny] remains uncertain, so the placement of the remains of these heroes who sacrificed their lives gloriously remains a difficult problem."

"Relevant sources stated that Asia-Europe Post will assist the China National Space Administration, NASA, and the Soviet Union's General Machine-Building Ministry in the recovery of the [Future Destiny], striving to put an end to this tragic incident that has attracted international attention."

Doudou scratched his head——

Ever since the failed landing of the Destiny on Mars a few summers ago, the school has required students to write two essays every September: one included in the summer homework, and one to be written when school starts; but the explosion of the Destiny clearly occurred in November.

I haven't written this summer vacation essay yet, and I'm worried just thinking about it.

[Ah! There's still math homework! Just kill me!]

Thinking of this horrible thing, Doudou became anxious and frowned - all five fingers dug into the metal armrest, leaving a clear handprint.

However, in addition to this global essay, I also want to write another one - but the topic is more local, it is about a building that was recently built in Mong Cai City.

-

It's called the Shouzhu 151 Building—as the name suggests, it has 151 floors. Before this, no one in Mong Cai had imagined that such a towering structure would exist in their city.

This should be the new landmark of Mong Cai City. It is said to be the tallest building in the entire Jiaozhi Autonomous Prefecture and even Southeast Asia: it will even surpass the Great Kyoto Building in Bangkok and the Kuala Lumpur Tower in the capital of Malaysia - putting aside the Petronas Towers currently under construction in Malaysia.

Shouzhu 151 was completed in just 35 months:

It is possible to raise the water a thousand feet in one night, leaving only a few inches of mud in the pond and garden.

Perhaps it is because of its reputation and the huge investment; the construction speed of Shouzhu 151 is jaw-dropping.

Doudou yawned:

The Shouzhu 151 Building really does look like a bamboo, towering high into the clouds; the exterior window glass reflects the dazzling sunlight, and it's a bit dazzled and painful to look at if you just glance at it.

Doudou used to be able to look across the corridor and the low buildings to the distant mountains as soon as he opened the screen door; now his view was cut off by the towering longevity bamboo. Doudou didn't mind: the rolling mountains never changed, and he was a little tired of seeing them.

Mong Cai City may no longer be the small town it was three years ago - the Tianhu community where Dou Dou lives is right on the edge of Yuelin District in Mong Cai City; it is only a few stops away from Shouzhu 151 Building.

In recent years, many factories have been demolished in Mong Cai and replaced by more and more commercial buildings and apartments.

A city itself is an animal that needs more nutrients to grow: but no one expected that Mong Cai City, which is weak and has a population of less than one million, seems to have the potential to become a giant.

But these things never entered Doudou's mind. Although he still kept the habit of buying a copy of the Mong Cai Evening News, the municipal affairs section and other things were not as attractive to Doudou as the crude jokes on the margins.

Most of the time, he would just copy down a few sentences from the newspaper when he needed to write an essay; Doudou thought this was his wonderful wisdom.

-

Doudou lay on the railing and waited for the whole afternoon: the moving workers who passed by tied the refrigerator, TV and sofa on their backs and staggered through the corridor; the sweat dripped down his chin and forward-leaning neck, forming deep marks on the concrete floor.

The elevator where someone died was still sealed, so the movers could only climb the stairs: but Doudou did not see any signs of complaint on those dark and tired faces.

A few years ago, when Doudou and his parents had just moved into Tianhu Community, there would often be vendors pushing carts or salesmen carrying handbags and briefcases coming up from that elevator.

The third layer of a peddler's cart, counting from the top, is usually filled with videotapes for rental, and sometimes pirated game disks; the dealer knocks on doors of apartments one by one, and comes back the next day to pick up the videotapes he rented out the day before.

Doudou wasn't particularly interested in the fresh produce and magazines on the cart, always staring at the third level. However, his home was on a high floor of the apartment building, so by the time the salesman's cart arrived at his doorstep, the trendy videotapes were likely already sold out. So, the moment Doudou heard the ring on the cart, he'd rush downstairs.

Later, there were not many residents left in the community - the dealer and his cart rarely came. One dealer often contracted all the miscellaneous business of the entire community: when everyone left, these entertainments also lost their meaning -

At least there is no income; there is no need to continue distributing here.

The iron railings were scorching hot from the sun, and even a distorted cloud of air hung above them, casting a distorted shadow on the construction site across the street. But Doudou still folded his forearms over them, resting his chin on them: he didn't care much for the temperature, the heat or cold of the environment; things that ordinary people couldn't tolerate didn't cause him discomfort.

Originally, Doudou planned to play "Dragon Triads" at home all day today - but the new neighbor's moving plan attracted his attention more than the pirated floppy disks Doudou bought across the street.

This reminded Doudou of the past few years: as we all know, a human's neighbors are very important; together with enemies and friends, they determine the position of humans in this civilized society.

-

Chapter 24 Skinny Guy

Doudou waited in the corridor for most of the afternoon. Until the sun went down, the burning heat turned into a humid, damp heat, and the movers completed their mission and left, leaving the door open.

His new neighbors finally arrived at the old apartment.

Even in the evening, the weather in Mong Cai was still uncomfortable: this sultry heat obviously also bothered Doudou's new neighbor.

He was a withered man, frighteningly thin; he reminded Doudou of the demon-possessed character in "The Evil Dead," toyed with beyond all recognition. It was like a skeleton covered in skin, with barely any subcutaneous fat; the texture of his muscles was almost protruding from the surface.

He wore a pale yellow, long-sleeved shirt, the cuffs rolled up to his elbows. Doudou guessed it was from so many washes that they had turned yellow. His cheeks were sunken, giving him the appearance of having large, round eyes, a rather creepy look. His hair was messy and sticky, plastered to his sweaty forehead.

The skinny man was holding a cardboard box, each side of which was stapled together in several rows - with stacks of materials placed vertically in between; his armpits and collar were soaked and the color became darker, but he still held the cardboard box tightly.

-

The skinny man froze when he saw Doudou. His eyes flickered across the door number of Doudou's house, then back to his new home, finally stopping at the cardboard box in his arms.

The skinny man bent down, placed the cardboard box at his feet, and propped it up against the concrete half-wall under the railing with his toes. Then, he wiped his hands on his trousers—first his palms, then the backs of his hands—and reached out to Doudou:

"Hello, hello. I just moved here. Is your family home?"

It was a strange handshake: the skinny man was five or six meters away from Doudou, around the corner of a corridor. Unless their arms could be extended, there was no way they could shake hands.

[Very enthusiastic people will even take the initiative to say hello! ]

With this thought in mind, Doudou took a few steps away from the railing and shook hands with the skinny man. His knuckles were prominent, his palms damp, and he only slightly curled his fingers together in a handshake; but Doudou didn't care: he hadn't even shaken hands.

It wasn't that Doudou was being impolite—it was just that if he'd shaken her hand a little more seriously, her new neighbor would have to rush to the hospital for a broken bone, possibly a comminuted one, before they could even move into their new home. As for the man's question about his family, Doudou naturally passed it over.

According to what he learned from the book, "good neighborliness" should be an important symbol of human beings. No one can figure out how human beings should behave. Doudou seems to have some understanding of this point.

But the reason why he waited so long was just because Doudou wanted to say hello to his new neighbor.

Cough, cough cough——

Doudou cleared his throat seriously:

"Hello, neighbor. Hello, neighbor. Welcome to our community! I hope you enjoy your life here. I can't wait to build a great community with you!"

Doudou looked at his new neighbor who looked like a skeleton and was standing there in a daze, sweating profusely; he seemed to not know how to respond to his enthusiasm; but Doudou didn't care.

Now that the greetings were over, it was time to satisfy his curiosity. As for the other party's previous inquiries about his family, Doudou hadn't heard them at all:

"you are weird."

The skinny man's face was covered in sweat, and his eyeballs were bulging out of their sockets.

".Why?"

Doudou tapped the sides of his eyes with his fingertips:

"Why don't you wear glasses? You're obviously very nearsighted."

There were two indentations on each of the skinny man's temples, both of which were different in color from the surrounding skin; not to mention the dazed look in his eyes - similar to those of Doudou's classmates who were myopic by several hundred degrees and had to take off their glasses for physical education class.

"Because...it's hot? I took it off, but I accidentally lost it when I moved." The skinny man blinked twice, his words clearly a statement, yet his tone was skeptical. "Didn't the radio advertise laser surgery recently? I was thinking of getting one. I wouldn't have to wear this troublesome thing anymore. Haha."

His laughter was as dry as his appearance.

"Oh! I see. It's so pitiful that you lost your glasses right after moving."

Doudou raised his hand again and pointed at the man's home:

"By the way, did you give the movers extra money? I saw them moving furniture up the stairs without swearing or looking grumpy."